Racing: Big Brotha's NZ Cup double act

Blood Brotha emulated his harness racing counterpart Terror To Love by winning his second New Zealand Cup in a row at Riccarton Park yesterday.

Wanganui trainer Raymond Connors engaged his fellow River City resident Lisa Allpress to ride the 7-year-old Danzighill gelding and he showed his liking for Riccarton Park and the two-mile distance by streeting his rivals.

Ridden off the pace, he soon loomed up in the straight and powered away to win by 6 lengths from Single Minded (Craig Grylls) and Cottonwood Sky (Paul Taylor).

Almost half of Blood Brotha's wins had been on the southern track and indeed the last time he greeted the judge was in this same race last year and it took his record to three wins in six starts on the track.

By contrast, he has won only once at his local track.

Blood Brotha was a loose favourite, returning $6.40 on the tote and $6 in the fixed odds market.

Lightning struck twice at Riccarton yesterday to force an early finish on the closing day of the New Zealand Cup carnival.

Horses and riders were recalled from the barrier before the final event and conditions were subsequently deemed to be too dangerous to carry on and the meeting was abandoned.

"Lightning struck the starting gates twice and opened them so we called them all back," stipendiary steward Ross Neal said.

"It was a unanimous decision and there was significant risk out there, so we're all going home."

Amid the thunder and lightning, a hail storm also swept across the Riccarton course.